Week 3 vs. New Orleans Saints
Kelvin Benjamin had a dismal Week 1, catching only 1 pass for 25 yards. However, he rebounded against the Bills last week with 6 receptions for 77 yards. He now leads the team with 13 targets through two games and may get an increase in looks with the reliable Greg Olsen out with a broken foot.
Benjamin faces the league’s worst pass defense this week. The Saints have allowed 777 yards and 6 touchdowns through the air so far this season, and they have a potent enough offense to keep the Panthers from running the clock out late in the game. Benjamin should put up fringe WR1 numbers in a great matchup and should be active in all league formats.
Week 2 vs. Buffalo Bills
Kelvin Benjamin had a forgettable season debut, catching only 1 pass for 25 yards. However, he was second on the team in targets with 5, and he should continue to be an active part of the passing game. The Panthers led the whole game and ended up beating the 49ers 23-3, and Cam Newton was still shaking off some rust.
This week, Benjamin faces a Bills team that lost their top corner in the offseason and will have their hands full facing the Carolina backfield. Expect a rebound performance and for Benjamin to put up WR2 numbers.
Week 1 at San Francisco 49ers
Kelvin Benjamin struggled last year coming off an ACL injury that wiped out his entire 2015 season. He wound up with 941 yards and 7 touchdowns. Benjamin is now two years removed from the injury, however, and he remains the most talented outside receiver in Carolina. He has tremendous size for the position at 6-foot-5 and is a mismatch in the red zone.
This week, Benjamin is worth gambling on as a low-end WR2 option due to an excellent matchup against the 49ers. The 49ers were dead last in total points allowed last year, and they also gave up 30 touchdown passes.
Fantasy Upside
After a stellar rookie season in 2014, Kelvin Benjamin missed all of 2015 with a torn ACL before returning last year to catch 63 passes for 941 yards and seven touchdowns. Now two years removed from his injury, Benjamin is the WR1 on a roster that was the highest scoring offense in the league two years ago. He has exceptional size for his position, standing 6-foot-5. Quarterback Cam Newton has a tendency to float passes, which works in Benjamin’s favor, and he should continue to be a viable red zone target due to his body control and ability to catch contested balls.
Fantasy Downside
Benjamin looked slower and incapable of gaining separation in his first year back from injury, which reduced the number of quality targets he saw. The Panthers had a makeshift offensive line last season, and Benjamin’s inability to get open off the line on a consistent basis didn’t allow Newton to get many clean throws to him. Benjamin is never going to be a burner, but he’ll need to learn to get off the line with a little more explosiveness if he’s going to improve. Benjamin showed up to camp out of shape in May, which is never a good sign with a young player. Talented pass-catchers acquired in the draft could take some pressure off Benjamin, but could also reduce his targets.
2017 Bottom Line
Benjamin has a lot of upside, but he’s too risky to draft early. The Carolina offensive line should improve a little with the addition of Matt Kalil and some natural progression from the young guards, but Newton will still likely have a hard time finding a clean pocket. It’s encouraging that Benjamin has had over 100 targets in each of his two playing seasons and that he caught seven touchdowns in a bad year in 2016. He gets a value boost in touchdown-only leagues, but overall, his seventh-round ADP might be too rich for me to buy this season.
Week 17 vs. Tampa Bay
Kelvin Benjamin had only four catches for 63 yards last week against the Falcons, but he did score a touchdown, reminding fantasy owners of the kind of potential he has. Benjamin has been disappointing over the later part of the season as the team has struggled.
This week, Benjamin remains a risky option, despite going up against a below average Tampa Bay pass defense that ranks 23rd in the league in passing yards allowed. Expect Benjamin to get some targets, but with his catch-to-target ratio at only 51%, it’s hard to count on him to do a whole lot. Fantasy owners should view him as a risky WR3 with upside.
Week 16 vs. Atlanta
Kelvin Benjamin has been woefully disappointing over the second half of the season. He has only one touchdown since Week 4, and has only five catches for a total of 49 yards in his last three games combined. Benjamin looks frustrated, which has opened the door for teammate Ted Ginn Jr. to thrive. While Benjamin has some upside this week in an excellent matchup against the Falcons, his recent performances make him really hard to trust this late in your fantasy season.
Week 15 vs. Washington
I want to like Kelvin Benjamin, but he’s been so bad lately that it’s hard to trust him. He’s had less than 20 yards in two straight games, including only one catch for 11 yards last week against the Chargers. Benjamin has looked brilliant at times this season, but he recently looks almost checked out, which makes it hard for fantasy owners to trust him at this point in the season.
This week, Benjamin has a little upside against a Washington defense that ranks 24th in the league in passing yards allowed. However, with how bad he’s been recently and with how much the Carolina offense has struggled lately, Benjamin is probably better off on your bench.
Week 14 vs. San Diego
Despite a team-high nine targets last week against the Seahawks, Kelvin Benjamin was held to only two receptions and 18 yards in a blowout loss. Benjamin has been largely inconsistent this season despite a large volume of targets, as the Panthers continue to disappoint their fan base with what will likely go down as a lost season.
This week, Benjamin faces a San Diego defense that allows the sixth most passing yards per game to opposing teams, but has only allowed 17 touchdown passes this year and leads the league with 15 interceptions. While Benjamin has the potential to do well in any given week, he’s hard to trust in the playoffs against a decent defense. We have him outside our top-30 this week, making him a low-end WR3 in most leagues.
Week 13 vs. Seattle
Kelvin Benjamin only had two catches last week against the Raiders, but one of them was a 44-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. He ended up with only 53 yards on the day, but he continues to be the most targeted wide receiver for the Panthers and is on pace for over 1,000 yards this season.
This week, he has a tough matchup against a Seahawks defense that is tied for second in the league with only 10 touchdown passes allowed this season. He should still be in for plenty of targets, but expectations should be low in this matchup. We have him as a low-end WR2 option in most leagues.
Week 12 vs. Oakland
Kelvin Benjamin had only three catches for 56 yards against the Saints last week, a disappointing total consider the matchup. Benjamin hasn’t done much the past few weeks and hasn’t scored a touchdown since October 2nd against the Falcons after scoring four times in the first four games. He’s still heavily targeted though, which should translate into fantasy production at some point.
This week, he has another good matchup against Oakland. The Raiders are fourth worst in the league in passing yards allowed per game and have given up 18 touchdown passes this season. Check Benjamin’s status before game time, as he’s listed questionable this week, but he should be a solid WR2 in most leagues against the Raiders, assuming he’s active.
